Tuesday, January 20, 2009

We are having the best week ever!

Monday was a national holiday so that meant a day off, and then early this morning the snow fell. And fell. And fell. And I know by the end of it all we only got like, 3-4 inches, but let me tell you: around here (Eastern NC) this is a BIG DEAL. I mean, I haven’t seen snow actually cover the ground in like, five or six years. Today was monumental, really. And because I live in the South, and we rarely get any kind of snow accumulation, no one can handle it; no one can drive in it . . . which ultimately means the town shuts down for two whole days.

In fact . . . one of the headlines on my paper’s website is: “Heavy Snow Causes Chaos in (our) Area.” People are being urged to stay off the roads, because everyone who tries to drive, well, crashes.

Wednesday is officially a “State of Emergency” here, as safe driving will be near-impossible. And if things re-freeze overnight on Wednesday . . . we will have a three-day snow holiday!

Okay. I work from home, so I don’t have to go anywhere, but I’m happy for all of the teachers and kids who get another snow day . . . and for me, because even though I have a truckload of papers to grade, I fully intend on heading back outside tomorrow, even though I was v. v. cold today. I mean, a 14 degree wind chill factor? That is frigid, people.

And don’t say I’m a wuss, because I can handle 98 degrees and 100% humidity. I live it EVERY July. So There.

This is me (yay!) FREEZING:



Have a great week! Enjoy your weather . . . no matter where you are!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

I know that it’s 2009 and I’m supposed to be really excited about everything going on . . . and I am . . . but there’s a lot of sadness around these parts lately. First, a friend’s mom died from cancer (too young, in my opinion), so my heart obviously goes out to that family.

Also, we had to put my doggie to sleep last weekend. I say we, even though it wasn’t really my decision to make. I actually told everyone that I (quote) “wanted no part in the decision.”

The condensed version of the story is that we got Trixie (a miniature dachshund) when I was in college. My mom and I shared her. She was *so* much fun. She was tiny as a puppy and had *such* an amazing spirit. There was no such thing as a stranger: she was happy to see everyone. She would run around the house like a maniac, especially after she had a bath.

After I got married, Trixie came to live with me. She stayed by my side as I suffered through three straight months of morning sickness, resting in my lap during the day and sleeping under the covers at my feet at night. When my little girl was born, Trixie would snuggle up against her, and would lick her little baby toes.

Not long afterwards, though, Trixie had a back injury (which is common in miniature dachshunds) and could no longer move her back legs. Surgery wasn’t a guarantee, and too expensive, so we tried alternative treatments, like exercise and acupuncture. She was able to gain some movement back, but was never able to hold her weight to stand. We invested in some doggie wheels, so the last three years of her life she was able to roll around the yard. Most recently, she was living with my mom because she had more resources to take care of her, but this past year was really hard. Trixie was sick a lot and having problems off and on. She was getting older and more lethargic; losing her sight and some of her hearing, and so it was decided that it was time to have her put to sleep.

Anyway, I know there are *more important* issues going on in the world: people losing family members, war, famine, poverty . . . but Trixie was my first dog, and I miss her. The fact that it was the “right decision” doesn’t make it any easier.

They say owners look like their dogs, and that is *so* true, because Trixie and I both had long, lean bodies, and long, skinny noses (though Trixie’s was cute, and mine is not, and if I wasn’t so afraid of unnecessary pain I would invest in rhinoplasty).

Anyway, if you read the author bio in One Wish, you will learn that I live in NC with my husband, little girl, and miniature dachshund, but that’s not true anymore. I know there’s not much to be done about the situation at this point, except announce to the blogosphere that I was lucky enough to have the *best* dog ever, and I’ll never forget my Trixie Pepperduke.


Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Announcements!

This is launch year (One Wish, April 2009)! I will try not to scream in your ears, or blind you with a lot of CAPS and exclamation points, but you get the excitement, right?

Anyway, a shameless self-promotion link: http://www.westside-books.com/

If you didn’t know already, I’m part of this fabulous group called the 2009 Debutantes. Basically, we are a group of writers of middle grades and young adult fiction, and we all have books coming out this year.

The official link: http://www.feastofawesome.com/

And now for the good news! For the next twelve months there will be contests and giveaways, and I will personally be pimping out some excellent debut books, and interviewing a lot of fabulous new authors on my blog.

That would be here (another link): http://leighbrescia.livejournal.com/

One of the first contests I want to mention is the 12 Months of Debsness. The Debs are giving a way 12 gift bags full of very cool things related to the novels debuting this year. There’s one for each month of 2009, and the first is set to be given away on January 15th, so check out http://www.feastofawesome.com/ to enter!




The first Debutante I will be chatting with is the amazing Stacey Jay. Her novel: “You are So Undead to Me,” drops January 22. Stacey will be my guest on February 1st.

And then, closer to One Wish’s release date (April 24), I will be going on a massive Debs (and others) blog tour. Right now it looks like I will be a guest at 40+ different blogs. That’s a lot of typing. Hopefully my eyeballs won’t fall out or my fingers won’t fall off. Otherwise how would I write?

If you have a personal blog and are interested in having me as a guest, email me at leighbrescia@yahoo.com. I can answer questions or talk about whatever you’d like: writing, publishing, being a teenager, drama, teaching online, or how I really felt that night in eighth grade when I belatedly discovered I was wearing purple underwear and a white dress. (Thank God I work from home, since I clearly cannot dress myself.)

I also have some personal giveaways planned, which may include signed hardcover copies of One Wish. So . . . check back soon for updates, and if you don’t already, plan to stop by my blog on Feb. 1st to read what’s happening with Stacey Jay, and regularly for a feast of Debutante awesome!

Between that, I will do some of my traditional, irrelevant blog updating: lamenting WIP edits, attempting to determine if I am more excited that my book will be for sale soon or completely freaked out, and, if you’re lucky, I’ll throw in an occasional reference to the swoon-worthy Mr. Depp.

(Sigh)

HAPPY 2009!!

Love,
~Leigh~